Sumbarine safety device



June 13, 1933. c. G. GALLr-:RANI 1,914,248

SUBMARINE SAFETY DEVICE Filed July 29, 1952 s'sneets-sneet 1 "IIIUWIIII 'l' l|||1| Mmm Il |l l lNvEN-ron ATTOR N EY June 13, 1933- c. G. GALLERANI SUBMARINE SAFETY DEVICE Filed July 29, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Wren Uur@ f June I3, 1933. c. G.'GAL| ERAN| 1,914,248 l SUBMARINE SAFETY DEVICE Filed Judy 29, 1952 s sheets-sheet 5 Karla 6. @alle/mz',

INVENTOR i "Y mfg/amv@ wfnsss: ATTORNE?! Patented June 13, 1933 PATENTg oFFicl:

CARLO G. GAL-LEBANI, F BRIDGEWATER, MASSACHUSETTS SUBMARINE SAFETY DEVICE Application filed July 29,

This invention relates to submarine safety devices, and has for the primary object, the provision of means whereby the crew of a sunken or disabled submarine may readily draw in fresh air from the surface of the water to each compartment of the submarine and expel air therefrom ,as it becomes unfit for breathing, consequentlyV permitting the crew to remain alive, over a considerable length of time.

Another object of this invention is the provision of floatable means releasable from the submarine during the sinking of the latter or after coming to rest at the bottom of the 5 body of water, and having communicative means with the interior of the submarine of such a construction to permit intake of fresh air and the exhaust of foul air from the submarine and also whereby liquid food may be furnished to the crew of the submarine from a rescue ship and with means to permit telephonie conversation to be carried on between the crew of the submarine and the rescue ship. v With these and other objects in view this invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

3 For acomplete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 isa side elevation illustrating the 3 submarine with safety devices applied thereto vand constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a view partly in section show- 4tjing the submarine kin a sunken position with the safety devices released and floating on the surface of the water with connection to a rescue ship.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional "view illustrating one of the rescue de vices= Figure 4 1s ay fragmentary vertical sec- 1932. Serial No. 625,966.

tional View illustrating one of the floatable `devices after the automatic releasing and opening ofits covering.

Figure 5 is a plan view partly in section o illustrating the same.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a submarine of a conventional construction wherein the hull is divided into a series of compartments 2. Each compartment is equipped with a safety device 3 constructed in accordance with the present invention so that when the submarine becomes disabled in a sunken position the crew of each compartment may actuate a safety device thereof so that fresh air may be obtained and foul air exhausted. As shown in Figure 2 the submarine is in a sunken position with the vvarious safety devices in operation and extending into the surface of the water whereby the crew of a rescue ship 4 may make connection with the various safety devices for the purpose of furnishing air, liquid food to the crews of the compartments of the submarine and also permitting crews of the ships to carry on conversation with each other. As each safety device is of identical construction reference to one is thought suicient to all.

The safety device 3 consists of a floatable and substantially spherical shaped buoy 5 having air chambers 6 capable of being filled -with compressed air through means 7. A

compartment 8 is formed in the buoy 5 opening outwardly through the top thereof and closable by a hinged cover 9. A spring pressed plunger 10 is arranged in the compartment 8 and engages the cover 9 to urge the latter to an open position when released.

The cover 9 carries a keeper 11 engaged by a 85 pivoted catch 12 to which is connected the stem 13 of a piston 14 slidably mounted in a cylinder 15. The cylinder 15 is arranged in the compartment 8 with one end open for communication with said compartment, while its opposite end is closed and has in communication therewith a tube 1G extending through a wall of the buoy 5 above the water line thereof. The piston 14 is normally urged downwardly by a spring 17 for engaging the catch 12 with the keeper 11, retaining the cover in a closed position. The tube 16 during the use of the device will permit the interior of the cylinder 15 to be either under atmospheric compression or the pressure of the water when the float is below the surface thereof.

An offset portion 18 is formed on the float 5 for sealing engagement with a rack 19 carried by the deck of the submarine and communicative with the compartment thereof. The rack 19 is provided with a gasket 20 to engage the cflset portion 18 to prevent seepage of either air or water between the float and the rack when the submarine is submerged.

Apertured ears 21 are carried by the offset portion 18 and project into the rack to be engaged by anchoring lugs 22 carried by a releasing bar 23 slidably secured to the interior of the submarine and actuated by a hand lever 24.

501 by conductors housed within the conduit 27.

Located within the compartment of the submarine is a reel rack 25 supporting a reel 26 on which is wound a flexible conduit 27, one end of which extends through the rack and an opening in the offset 18 of the float. A stuffing gland 28 is provided for establishing a leak-proof connection between the offset 18 and the conduit. The conduit 27 has located therein tubes 29 connectible with pipes 30 and 31 in the chamber 8, while the opposite ends of said tubes communicate with passages 32 of the reel shaft and to which is connected a conduit 33 having` tubes communicative with pumps 34 and 35 located within the compartment of the submarine. The pumps 34 and 35 are of a conventional type and hand operated, the pump 34 being for the purpose of drawing air into the compartment while the pump 35 is for the purpose of exhausting air from the compartment.

rlfelephones 36 are located in the compartment of the submarine and the chamber 8 of the float 5 and are electrically connected The conductors are provided with a suitable rotatable electrical connector 3'? for the purpose of permitting the reel to rotate without effecting the operation of the telephone. rl`he reel 26 may be of the self-winding type.

The submarine when sunk as shown in Figure 2, the persons in the compartments 2 may release the floats 5 from the deck of the submarine by operating the hand levers 24. rlhe floats 5 then ascend to the surface of the water, unwinding the conduits from the reel. While the floats 5 are submerged and ascending into the surface of the water, the pressure of the water exceeds the air pressure within the chambers 8, forcing the pistons.

14 downwardly in their cylinders 15, maintaining the catches in engagement with their keepers, holding the covers closed. However, as the floats reach the surface of the water, the tubes 16 become under atmospheric pressure and by operating the exhaust air pumps forcing air into the compartments 8, the pistons 14 move upwardly releasing the catches from the keepers. The plungers 10 automatically open the cover. rllhe crew in the submarine may then operate the pumps 34 and 35 to obtain fresh air and to exhaust foul air. The floats on the surface of the water indicate the location of the sunken submarine so that the salvage ship 4 may readily locate the same and make connection with the pipes 30 of the iioats through flexible tubes 38 whereby additional air may be forced from the rescue ship to the compartments of the submarine or if desired, liquid food may be forced into the compartments vof the submarlne. By the telephones 36 it is possible for the crews of the rescue ship and the submarine to carry on telephonic conversation.

While l have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, `it will be under-stood that minor changes in construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as claimed.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. A. submarine safety device comprising a float having air chambers and a compartment opening` through one wall of the float, means whereby compressed air may be placed within the chambers, a hinged cover for closing the compartment, a pressure actuating means for retaining the cover in a closed position until the float reaches the surface of the water and the air pressure in the compartment exceeds the atmospheric pressure on the exterior of the ioat, means for detachably securing the float to the submarine and operable from the interior of the submarine, a reel in the submarine, a conduit carried by the reel and communicating with the compartment of the float, tubes extending through the conduit, air suction and force pumps connected to said tubes, telephones in the submarine and the compartment and having electrical connection with each other through the conduit.

2. A device for submarines comprising a ioat having air chambers and a compartment opening through one wall thereof, a hinged cov-er for closing the compartment, tension means for urging the cover into an open positi on, a pivoted catch for retaining the cover in a closed position, a cylinder in the compartment, and having one end closed, a piston in said cylinder connected to the catch, tension means between the closed end of thev cylinder and the piston to urge the catch in a position to hold the cover closed, and a tube iut communicative With the cylinder between the piston and the closed end of said cylinder and extending through a Wall of the Hoet to admit pressure exteriorly of the iioat to the cylinder for action upon the piston, and means for admitting air pressure to the compartment for action upon the piston and adapted to move said piston against atmospheric pressure When admitted to the cylinder by Way of said tube.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature. CARLO G. GALLERANI. 

